Armistice
by JoeB1451
Summary: On the run after killing Viktor, Michael and Selene seek out his father Hank Summers for help in getting to the US, he sends him in search of his halfsister, The Slayer.  If she agrees to help him it will mean the resumption of a war put on hold over 700
1. Chapter 1

Armistice

Disclaimer: I don't own them, I'm just borrowing them. No profit was made on the following:

Authors Note 1: I got the idea for this from a Challenge awhile back on TTH. It isn't quite what was requested, but I hope it's close enough.

Author's Note 2: This is not the start of a new epic, there will probably only be one more part of it, maybe two.

This story is set after Season Seven and Underworld. It will largely ignore Underworld Evolutions.

Constructive Criticism always welcome, flames cheerfully ignored.

Fic Starts Here 4589305703284038575-285392003498 

Hank Summers climbed out of his car and headed for his apartment. He was living alone in one of Madrid's better neighborhoods. He was just getting his door key out when behind him heard in a hushed, but urgent whisper, "Dad!"

Whipping around he saw two shadowy figures crouched behind his garbage cans. "Who's there?" He called.

One of the figures stood up and Hank recognized him, "Michael?"

"I'm in a lot of trouble and I need to borrow some cash," the figure said as it stepped closer. The second figure also stepped out into the light. Hank was impressed; she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. She had straight, black, shoulder length hair and hazel eyes, her clothing left little to the imagination, as it was a latex body suit with a corset on top. She also was wearing a black leather duster.

"What kind of trouble?" Hank asked as he opens the door and waved them in.

Hank led them to the kitchen and indicating they should take a seat at the table, he went to the fridge and asked, "Can I get you anything?"

Michael and the woman, who Michael introduced as Selene, shook their heads no.

Hank grabbed a bottle of beer, and opening it he sat down across from his son by a woman he had met during a trip to Europe just after he had graduated collage. He didn't even know he had a son untill he had received a letter from the woman explaining that she was dying of cancer and asking if he could look after their then 16-year-old son. His marriage to Joyce was starting to feel the first strains that would eventually lead to it unraveling and the revelation that he had a son by a one-night stand did nothing to improve matters. Joyce wasn't crazy about having him move in and Hank had been secretly relieved when Michael had decided to stay with his grandparents rather than relocating to the States. He had stayed in contact though, exchanging several letters and a couple of phone calls a year with him. He had been very proud when Michael had graduated from med school and had been picked up as intern at one of his city's hospitals.

The men began catching up on history. Selene smiled thinking about how Michael was going to explain the trouble they were in. Both of them were wanted by the United Covens, a group that represented the only government that her type of vampire had.

Selene, because she had killed the vampire elder Viktor, partially to save Michael, whom she had become quite attached to, and partly because Viktor had killed her family and had lied to her and said that it had been a pack of marauding lycans that had done the deed. He had turned her then and she had become a Death Dealer, a vampire that was a master of combat who hunted lycans wherever they could be found. Michael, because he was a vampire/lycan hybrid, with the strengths of both and the weakness of neither and the vampires could not accept the abomination they perceived him to be.

Hank caught the smile from the corner of his eyes and turned to the young woman to ask to be let in on the joke. Selene had smiled a little wide and Hank caught sight of her fangs. He all but fell over backward getting out of the chair. Selene and Michael both watch as he rushed to a drawer, pulled out a crucifix and thrust it at them. "How did she manage to cross the threshold when I never invited her?" He demanded.

"I think he has me confused with one of my demonic cousins," Selene told Michael.

"Relax dad, we aren't going to hurt you. Selene isn't some soulless demon," gulping he then said, "And neither am I."

"How do you know about vampires Mr. Summers?" Selene asked. Michael had said his father had no knowledge of the Underworld.

Hank decided they were telling the truth. If they wanted to hurt him they could have long ago, so turning he went to a table he had stocked with several bottles of liquor and selecting a bottle of scotch he poured himself a generous helping into a water glass and came back to the table.

"Soon after Michael's half-sister Buffy turned 15 she started having nightmares. They all centered on a young girl fighting monsters, often the girl would be killed. When she started seeing the monsters when she was awake, her mother and I decided she needed more help than we could give her, and so we committed her to a psych facility for evaluation. While she was there I started reading up on the vampire legend, figuring that once she got out I'd be able to argue with her on the subject. Two days into my research I came across a legend, it was about a female warrior that was endowed with strength and fighting prowess to combat the forces of darkness. One of the things this warrior supposedly had were prophetic dreams.

About two weeks after she was released with a clean bill of health she started coming home late from school and sneaking out at night. We originally believed she was getting involved in gang activity. Joyce was drinking heavy and I just didn't know how to deal. Bad became worse and then Buffy burned her high school gym down during a dance. Thankfully no one was killed but it got her expelled. Joyce and I were having all kinds of problems in our marriage and in many ways this was the last straw. I'm not blaming Buffy for the break-up, but her problems put the last nails into the coffin. Joyce and I separated and then we divorced. She got custody and moved to Sunnydale. I got the girls for the summer, I was looking forward to having a good time with them, but when Buffy arrived she was quiet and withdrawn. She was still sneaking out at night too. One night I followed her. She didn't realize I was there so I got a ringside seat when she attacked three guys that were all bigger than her. I was about to wade in and try to help her. I was thinking she must have been suicidal, then she hit one and he flew twenty feet. I could only stand there and watch as she took these three guys apart. And suddenly she stabbed one with something and he crumbled to dust. The other two weren't far behind. I managed to stay hidden and I got home before her. I kept what I saw to myself and never let on what I'd learned. When the job offer in Spain came I took it. Call me a coward, but there would be one night when she didn't come home and I couldn't deal with it."

When Hank finished Selene said, "Your daughter is the Slayer." It wasn't a question.

Hank took a long drink from his glass then nodded. Looking at Michael he said, "I'll give you money to get to the States plus a little extra. But, your sister is somewhere in Rome, I think you should go and talk to her, she can help with what ever trouble you are in."

Selene shook her head, "You want us to go to the Slayer? She'd kill us on sight."

"Not Buffy, I've made some contacts in the supernatural community, and from what I've been able to learn Buffy is a very non-standard Slayer. She'll hear you out."

Selene turned to Michael; she'd leave it up to him.

Chapter II

The being that people called The Immortal was lounging in a deep recliner. On the table next to him was an open bottle of fine Cabernet, with a half full glass next to it. In his hands was the latest offering from Anne Rice. When you lived forever you had to find things to distract you, and he found the words of someone who thought she knew how the supernatural worked one of his most relaxing pastimes.

He became aware of Jeeves, his butler was hovering just inside the door to his study. Marking his place he looked up and said, "Yes?"

"I know you don't like to be disturbed while you are reading sir, but there are several representatives of the United Covens downstairs who insists on seeing you immediately."

Jeeves delivered his information with little apparent emotion, but Jeeves had been seeing to the Immortals needs for almost a hundred years and they had learned to read each other. So the Immortal knew that the representative had been far from diplomatic when he had made his request, hmm, strike one then.

Glancing at the clock he saw that it was well after eleven pm. Strike two. Vampires generally tried to arrange meeting with non-nocturnal folks as close to sunset as possible. If this was a true emergency then perhaps the lateness could be ignored somewhat, but there is no excuse for not calling ahead.

Picking up a fine leather bookmark the Immortal marked his place and drained his wine glass, "Tell the representative that I will be with him presently," he instructed his butler.

Jeeves simply nodded, turned and left.

The Immortal did not bother to change out of his dressing gown, lets see if the representative could take the hint. He swept into his sitting room and saw that there were three people waiting for him. All were dressed in the depressing black that death dealers seemed to prefer. He recognized their leader; his name was Antonio, Marcus's pet and chief bodyguard. At almost six feet he was tall for someone born almost five hundred years ago. He had short-cropped brown hair and a pair of intense blue eyes. The Immortal knew that when Marcus didn't need him, Antonio made it a habit to travel to out of the way area's, and to….. indulge himself. The last that had come to his attention was in Africa about five years ago when a remote village had been wiped out. Officially it had been the work of rebels, but a careful examination of the records left no doubt it had been Antonio, his mark was unmistakable. The Immortal glanced at the other two, a male and a female who could have been pressed from the same mold as their leader. The Immortal saw that while Antonio had on an expression of bored politeness, the female had a look that bordered on pure contempt. Well, it probably wouldn't take long for them to generate strike three then.

Antonio stiffly bowed to his host, when he straightened up he began, "We are tracking a pair of fugitives, a vampire and a lycan. As of this afternoon, they were seen in Rome. We are required to notify you when we operate in and around Rome, so this is what I have just done. Good night, I'll make sure you are informed when we leave the area," Antonio and the other two then let themselves out.

_Well that didn't take long at all_, the immortal mused to himself . "Jeeves?"

"Yes sir?" The butler asked.

"Do you think that Antonio would have bothered to check in with the Council?"

"It would seem unlikely," he answered.

The Immortal went over to an end table and pulling a piece of parchment and an envelope out of its drawer. He wrote a short note and sealing it in the envelope he wrote a name on the front of it and handed it to the butler, "Please take this to Ms. Summers. You don't have to wait for a reply."

Jeeves nodded as he took the envelope.

The Immortal headed back upstairs to continue his reading, Antonio already consigned to that part of his mind where those long dead resided.

Chapter III

Selene crouched behind the crate that she had dragged Michael behind. He had been hit at the start of the ambush with a dart that had partially paralyzed him. "Can you move yet?" She asked as she checked around the corner to make sure that no one was sneaking up on them that way and ducked her head back quickly as their hunters open fire on the target of opportunity.

"Still the same," he replied. "I'm sorry, I should have listened to you and run to the United States." They had been in Rome for three days and had not been able to find his sister.

Selene shrugged it off, "They would have caught up with us eventually regardless of what we did. Your half sister might have given us a chance."

Selene risked a quick check around the corner again and saw that there still was no one there.

"Why do you keep risking getting shot in the head to check back that way?" Michael asked. "As far as I can tell, all the bad guys are all out front."

Selene nodded as she popped up and fired off a quick half dozen shots to keep heads down. "Yes, and they are holding our attention nicely don't you think?"

"You think they have someone coming around behind us?"

"I expected them to show up about five minutes ago, I wonder what's keeping them?"

"Dashia come in!" Antonio hissed into his radio. He knew that the traitor and the abomination where both behind that crate. Selene, because she kept shooting at them with those UV gel bullets; the hybrid because he had seen the dart go home, he had been guaranteed that the drug cocktail in it would put Michael Corvin down for at least a half hour. Of which he had less then ten minutes left.

Turning to his right and left he checked out the five vampires he had with him. All had been part of his squad for at least fifty years so they really didn't need much by way of instructions. "I can't raise Dashia," he said in a low voice. "We'll have to go in and take them ourselves. Remember, Marcus wants the abomination alive, Selene too if possible, but we must take the abomination. The three on his right nodded. He turned back to his left to make sure they understood too, but there was only one face looking at him. "What the?"

"Where is Kevin?" He asked Thomas, the other vamp on that left.

Thomas whirled around and looking back shrugged. He then continued to scan behind him. Antonio turned quickly back to see if the others had seen anything and saw that Adolph was now missing. His eyes gave him away and the other death dealers on that side began searching the darkness around them too.

Antonio turned again and was mildly surprised to see that Thomas was still there. He began scanning the warehouse too. "Follow me and stay together," he ordered. The four death dealers began moving out into the warehouse, careful not to get too close to dark alcoves. It did Thomas no good as a sudden twang was followed almost instantly by a heavy thump and Thomas flipped over backward. Sticking out of his forehead was the stump of a heavy crossbow bolt. His eyes staring blankly at the ceiling showed that his brain had been destroyed. The three surviving vampires went back to back and began circling, guns outstretched, searching for targets. A sudden movement out among the crates caught his eye. Antonio threw himself aside and fired toward the movement. There was a heavy THWACK behind him and turning he saw one of the other's body sliding to the floor, his head still perched on the axe blade that Antonio had dodged. The other was looking wildly into the warehouse when there was another twang and a bolt appeared in his forehead as he was flung backward against a crate.

Antonio stood up. He flung his submachine gun off into the darkness. He reached to his back and pulled a broadsword out of its scabbard. Facing the darkness he called, "Face me. Here, with steel in hand!"

A small form detached itself from the shadows, about fifty feet from where Antonio had seen the axe thrown. She pulled out a sword too, it had a smaller and lighter blade than Antonio, he smiled ferally, with his greater reach and a heavier blade he had all the advantages. She stopped just out of sword reach and smiled at him, clearly she did not consider herself at a disadvantage.

"If it had been me I would have finished me off from the shadows," He told the woman who had wiped out his team. He had no doubt that Dashia and her people were also dead.

The woman shrugged, "It's been awhile and I feel like a work out."

Antonio smiled broadened, s_o, she thinks she's the Slayer does she? Too bad I know the Slayer is in Cleveland._

Never one for subtleties, Antonio attacked his opponent at once. His style of attack was a fast rush with a flurry of blows raining down on his smaller opponent. He was shocked as she easily slapped his first attack aside and then counterattacked. _But she's in Cleveland! _Was Antonio's last thought in this world.

Chapter IV

Selene had no idea what was going on out in the warehouse. She'd heard shooting, but it had come nowhere near them. Then she heard a brief sword fight, then silence. A female voice called from the other side of the crate "I know you're back there, come out and I'll make it quick. If I have to come in there after you it won't be."

"I think we may have found your sister," Selene quipped to Michael.

"Buffy Summers?" Michael called.

"Who wants to know?" was the reply.

"My name is Michael Corvin," the hybrid introduced himself.

"It's always nice to know what to carve onto the tombstone," was the reply.

"Your father sent me to you, he thought you might be able to help."

"Why would he think that I would help anyone he sent to me?" Came the reply in a less than friendly voice.

"Because I'm your half-brother?"

"Nice try, but I only have a sister."

"I have a letter from your father that explains," Michael tried.

Silence for a bit, then, "I want to see all the guns slid out from behind the crates. Then both of you come out in the open."

Selene and Michael glanced at each other and realized they didn't have any choice. "Michael is paralyzed from a dart. I'll have to drag him out," Selene called.

"Fine, guns first though," was the reply.

Selene ejected the clips from her handguns and jacking the slide cleared the chambers, then slid them along the floor out of reach. Grabbing Michael under the armpits she dragged him out into the center of the warehouse. When she turned around she found herself facing The Slayer. Her first thought was, _this took out Antonio and his entire squad? _She hoped she had managed to keep the thought off of her face.

The Slayer was beyond short, she was petite, with long blonde hair done up in a ponytail. She was wearing a black duster with leather pants. She was covering Selene with a crossbow one handed. With the other she tossed something at Selene. Instinctively she reached out and grabbed package that Buffy had thrown at her.

"Those are zip-ties. I want you to use three of them on my "brother's" ankles, then his wrists. After that I want you to use three on your ankles then lay down and cross your hands behind your back. "

Every instinct Selene had screamed at her not to render herself so vulnerable in the face of her ultimate enemy, but the truth, she realized, was that she was going to stay alive only as long as The Slayer granted that life, so whether she was bound or not made no difference. She picked the package and pulled out three ties. Three minutes later she and Michael were sitting up against a crate helplessly watching Buffy read the letter that she had retrieved from Michael's pocket.

She looked them over then squatting down she reached out and grabbing Michael by the chin she moved his head around, looking at the profile in different lights. She stood up in and looked out into the darkness, lost in thought. After an almost intolerable time Buffy reached down and pulled a dagger out of her boot top. She sliced the zip-ties that was holding Michael's ankles together, then flipped him over and cut his hands loose. He was able to bring his hands forward and was massaging his wrists while Buffy was cutting Selene loose.

" I need to check out your story. If you are on the level I'll help. If your not, then we'll pick this up right where we left off."

Chapter V

"Your Eminence, The Slayer is here, she would like to speak with you if you have the time."

Cardinal Rudolph Strucker looked up from his paperwork with a delighted smile on his face, "Show her in Tomas," he ordered his secretary.

Tomas turned and waved Buffy into the office. As she passed him she smiled, "I'm a Slayer, Tomas, not The Slayer anymore."

Tomas nodded and smiled in response. Buffy sighed; he would keep calling her that.

The Cardinal stood up and came around his desk to great Buffy. They hugged and he went back to his seat while he waved Buffy to one in front of it. Buffy smiled and sat and considered the man in front of her. After Sunnydale had collapsed and they had started to reconstitute The Watchers Council Buffy had asked for a leave of absence. She felt that Dawn deserved some normalcy and when you got down to it she deserved a break. Giles had suggested that she take the Vatican Liaison post. The concept of being a diplomat had been as foreign to Buffy as being a high school councilor. Giles, realizing that had made sure she had gotten an excellent support staff. One of the first things she had been required to do was see if the Vatican would be willing to help the Council reconstitute its library.

The person who was in charge of things supernatural in the Vatican had been Cardinal Strucker. Buffy had shown up for the first meeting expecting to have to fight, or grant major concessions to get the tomes that they wanted, but when she had walked into his office there was a case on the desk that had a copy of the Vatican's information on magic and demons copied onto CD. He had presented it to her, not the Council, as a way of saying thanks for what Buffy had accomplished in her life. Even more surprisingly a firm friendship had grown up between the Slayer and the Cardinal. Buffy made it a habit of stopping in a couple of times a week to spend some time with him. She hoped he had the information she needed.

"So what can I do for you this evening?" The old Cardinal asked.

"First, I need a clean up," Buffy said. At first she had been hesitant to ask for this kind of a favor, but her people were good for giving diplomatic advice, not so hot when it came to cleaning up a Slaying scene. The Vatican on the other hand, had a first rate group of people who did that.

"Oh?" Strucker stated already reaching for the phone on his desk.

"A bunch of Death Dealers that didn't bother checking in with me."

"Do you know who they were?"

"The leaders name was Antonio, I didn't bother asking for any other introductions. They were Death Dealers."

Cardinal Strucker smiled, "You have done the world a great service this evening. But Marcus Corvenus is not likely to thank you for killing his chief aide."

Buffy shrugged. Not that she cared, but the Covenant was specific, if a group of their vampires were operating in or around Rome they needed to check in with the Council and explain what they were doing, and why it needed to be done. The Council rep would then judge if the action was warranted. Failure to contact, or continuing the mission after permission was denied put the vampires beyond the protection of the Covenant and then they were fair game. "I need some information on the fugitives they were after. A Michael Corvin and Selene. Michael is a vampire/lycan hybrid, Selene is a vampire, also a Death Dealer." Buffy was disappointed; the Cardinal simply reached into his desk drawer and pulled a fairly thick file. When she had first started to come to him for information he had surprised her by simply reaching into a desk drawer and pulling out the information she requested, it had become something of a game to them to see if she could legitimately surprise him with an information request. So far she was batting zero.

"What are you planning to do with them?" The Cardinal asked as he started to hand over the file.

"If their story checks out I'm going to grant them mine and the Council's protection, if it doesn't it depends on what they've done."

"Our people report that Marcus wants these two very badly. He could dissolve the Covenant over this."

Buffy was looking through the files, at first look it seemed to verify what she had been told without looking up she said, "Michael Corvin is my half-brother, if Marcus wants a war I'll give him one."

Cardinal Strucker blinked, "Could I see the first page of that file please Buffy?"

Buffy pulled out the requested page and passed it to the old churchman. Strucker put on a pair of spectacles and began reading. Pushing his intercom button he said, "Tomas, tell the research staff that in the future I want to know of any important familial relationships when ever I request a file."

"Yes your Eminence," was the rather subdued reply.

"I'm sorry Buffy. If I had realized that Michael Corvin was your brother I would have told you immediately," he said contritely.

Buffy waved it off, "I've done it with my staff too. They put a twenty-page report in front of me and they always seem surprised that I don't read the whole thing. They are getting better at giving me synopsizes though."

After Buffy had been reading for about twenty minutes the Cardinal asked, "Well does it jibe with what they have told you?"

"Pretty much, enough so that I believe them anyway."

"If it comes to war between you and the Coven, the Church can not get involved. But we also not hinder you in anyway," The Cardinal said.

Buffy nodded that she understood, she didn't really want that kind of help anyway.

"What will you do?" He asked.

"Hope he takes the hint and decides to let my brother and his girl go."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then I'll hold the first annual Slayer Convention wherever he happens to be."


	2. Chapter 2

Armistice

Disclaimer: I don't own them, I'm just borrowing them. No profit was made on the following:

Authors Note 1: I got the idea for this from a Challenge awhile back on TTH. It isn't quite what was requested, but I hope it's close enough.

Author's Note 2: I'm sorry this took so long to post. I've decided that what I'm going to do in the future for my stories, except for 'She Meant Everywhere, and my current ROS story, that I'm going to keep chapters to around 2000 words. I should be posting more often, as I have several stories I've been working on.

This story is set after Season Seven and Underworld. It will largely ignore Underworld Evolutions.

Constructive Criticism always welcome, flames cheerfully ignored.

Selene awoke, she was still spooned in with Michael. After Buffy had arranged for a hotel room for them in one of Rome's better hotels, they had eaten quickly, and then crashed. Michael had been surprised that room service had an alternate menu, Selene, who had traveled the world over hunting lycans, had explained that many of the better hotels catered to the Coven and other denizens of the night. They were not about to loose business just because the client had some unusual needs, especially with how rich many of those clients were. They had a very extensive 'wine list' of different kinds of blood. Selene was surprised that 'human' wasn't on the list, or rather that the person who took their order hadn't dropped a hint that it was available if they wished it. On the other hand, if The Slayer made a habit of using this hotel, they might have figured the risk wasn't worth it.

Michael shifted, he pulled his arm off of her and rolled onto his back Selene took the opportunity to slip out of bed. She padded over to the chair that her robe was thrown over, her nudity not bothering her in the least. Once it was belted around her waist she pulled one of her pistols out of its holster and began taking it apart so she could clean it. She noticed that Michael's glass was still half full of the cow's blood he had ordered for dinner. They had discovered during their escape that Michael's body was now set up to feed as a vampire; he could no longer metabolize solid food. He was still not used to drinking his meals.

Michael stirred, he rolled back over and when his arm didn't encounter Selene his eye's popped open. He quickly glanced around the room until his eyes settled on Selene working on her hand gun. He rolled out of bed and padded up to the former death-dealer and threw his arms around her and kissed her over her jugular.

Selene luxuriated in the embrace, but when he lifted his head up to say good morning she beat him to it by saying, "You need to eat."

He frowned, but picked up the glass and downed it in one gulp. 

"Good, now call room service and order breakfast, I'll take what I had last night."

Michael had learned that arguing with Selene was pointless, he could talk himself blue in the face and she'd still end up getting her way.

Selene had just finished putting her first gun back together when there was a quiet knock on the door. The lovers looked at each other, the hotel boasted of its good service, but that was a little too efficient, even for them.

Selene loaded and charged the gun she had been working on; Michael shifted into his highbred mode and moved next to the door. "Who is it" Selene asked from inside the bedroom doorway.

"It's Khan," was the surprising answer, "I want to talk."

Michael looked to his lover, he was still new to this death dealer business and he trusted her judgment more than his own. When she nodded he opened the door and stepped back. Khan stood in the middle of the doorway, wearing only pants and a shirt, rather than his normal duster, holding his hands well away from his body. Without even being asked he slowly turned around to show the other Death dealer that he didn't have any weapons tucked away in the small of his back. "Okay, you can come in," Selene told her once friend.

"Thanks," Khan said as he stepped in. He glanced to his side were the half-breed stood against the wall, waiting to spring if he did anything suspicious.

"What do you want to talk about?" Selene asked, not lowering her gun.

"I want to join up with you, Carl and Sanderson want to too."

Selene frowned, "Next to me, you were Victor's most loyal follower, the other two right behind you. Why would you want to join up with me? I killed him."

Kahn shrugged, "You were right about Lucien being back, you were right about Kraven, I figured you must have had a good reason for killing him."

"He killed my family, not Lycans."

"See, I knew you'd have one," Kahn replied, somewhat relieved he had been right. "I figured I'd take a chance that it was one I could live with, because what was going on back at the Coven when Marcus woke up and discovered that he was the only Elder left me doubtful that I would survive long."

"Why?"

"Because Marcus was looking for scapegoats for Victor and Amelia's deaths, more hers than his I think, and since I was never a big fan of Marcus, myself, Carl and Sanderson decided that we'd volunteer for a long patrol to see if we could cut across any trails left by fleeing lycans and we just kept going. We picked up your trail in Madrid and managed to follow you here. Carl got lucky and spotted you with that blonde mortal coming into the hotel." Looking around Kahn asked, "Where is she by the way?"

"She had some things to do. She should be back soon," Michael explained as he moved into the room. He shifted back to his human self as he did so.

"Who is she?" Kahn asked, keeping an eye on the highbred.

"My half sister," Michael explained. He was about to go on when Buffy opened the door and came on in. She stopped when she saw that they had a guest. Looking at her brother and cocking an eyebrow she asked, "Are you going to introduce me?"

Michael shrugged, "Buffy Summers? This is Khan, he is a former associate of Selene. Khan, this is Buffy Summers, the Vampire Slayer."

Kahn blinked, "But the Slayer is in Cleveland."

The Immortal was shooting a game of pool; he had been practicing the game almost since its invention and prided himself that he was one of the best in the world at it. Before the invention of television he had regularly entered tournaments under a variety of aliases and disguises, but now with video tape there was too much of a chance that someone one going over old tapes might penetrate his identity. Jeeves came into the room and cleared his throat. The Immortal glanced up and said, "Yes?"

"'Erika, from the United Covens, has requested to meet with you tonight as early after sunset as is possible."

The Immortal smiled, it was nice dealing with someone who observed the pleasantries, "You may tell Erika that when ever is good for her is good for me. Then see if that Supermodel is in town, if she is, she is usually good for a pint or two."

Jeeves nodded and without another word turned and left.

Erika arrived about a half an hour after Sunset. She was dressed in a tight black sequined gown, a small clutch purse in her hand, spiked black pumps on her feet, and a black mink stole around her shoulders. She allowed Jeeves to take her wrap and purse, then held her hands out to the Immortal, "Alexander! How good to see you again," She said with a smile.

"And you my dear," The Immortal replied. "You are ravishing as always."

Erika smiled and nodded at the compliment, allowing herself to be lead into the dining room. A table big enough for two had been set in the corner. The Immortal pulled her chair out for her then sat. Jeeves brought out the first courser, bisque for him, a glass of blood in a crystal goblet for her. He then opened and poured a red wine from the Immortals cellar. Erika took a taste and smiled across the table at her host.

The two shared small talk all through dinner, the super-model had been available and Erika commented on the flavor, obviously enjoying herself. Finally, the dinner was over and it was to business. "Have you by any chance heard from Antonio or any member of his team?" Erika asked.

"Yes he stopped by here a couple of days ago to inform me that he was hunting a couple of fugitives," The Immortal replied. The dead way he said it was not lost on Erika.

"He was rude wasn't he?" She asked. She cursed to herself. When she had heard that fugitives had fled to Rome she had advised Marcus to send in another team. Antonio's arrogance would not do well in the neutral city, were diplomacy would often get you more than guns.

The Immortal just nodded.

Erika sighed, Marcus would not be happy. "Could you tell me were the bodies are buried?"

"I'm not sure, the Vatican did the actual clean up."

Erika could not keep the shocked look off of her face. That idiot might have started a war with the Vatican? The Coven so did not need that right now. "How did he alienate them?" she asked in a perplexed voice.

"They just did the clean up. The actual agency in their deaths was the Watchers Council."

"The Council is operating in Rome again? We were not aware of that."

The Immortal nodded, taking a sip of his after dinner sherry, "It is a relatively recent situation. One of their senior people wanted a break and The Council thought it might be a good idea to improve their relationship with the Holy See."

"Did you tell Marcus that the Council was back in Rome?"

"I would have, but he was in hurry to be after whoever he was chasing," The Immortal replied in a deadpan manner.

Erika snarled internally, I bet you made sure the Council was aware of his presence too. Which is exactly why she hadn't wanted Antonio and his butchers running around Rome without someone sane holding the leash.

Keeping a calm face she said, "That is unfortunate, would it be possible for you to set up a meeting? I would like to apologize and explain that the Covens had not intentionally broken the Covenant we had with the Watchers Council and explain that it was not an intentional slight on our part that they were not informed of our operations."

"I will send a message to Ms. Summers, the Council representative in Rome, and see if she is willing to meet tonight, or if not, when she is able to."

The Immortal waved to Jeeves for some note paper and after finishing it he handed it to the butler and said, "See that Ms. Summers gets this note immediately." Jeeves nodded and left to see the note off.

While they waited the Immortal caught up with the court gossip of the United Covens, and passed on some of the goings on in the rest of Europe. After about a half an hour, Jeeves returned and said, "Ms. Summers is on her way and should be here momentarily."

Ten minutes later the door bell rang and The Immortal excused himself and went to great his new guest.

Erika prepared herself; no doubt this would be one of those old wrinkly, no sense of humor Watchers. It would no doubt be a maiden aunt, one which had grown to be such nuisance that the other wrinkly no sense of humor watchers had decided to be rid of her for awhile. Erika hoped at least that she had a modicum of common sense and wouldn't insist that this incident was worth blowing up into a full scale war. The only thing the Coven needed less than a war with the Vatican was getting into a spitting contest with the Slayer.

Alexander and the Council Representative entered the dinning room. Erika was shocked to see how young she was. Short too. She was blonde with hazel eyes, dressed in a cream colored dress with matching heels. Erika thought fast, what would this one have done to deserve a break? She couldn't be a ditz, sure the Liaison position to the Vatican was hardly difficult assignment, but given their penetration into most countries it was not a smart move to piss them off, and they could be, persnickety, when diplomacy was involved. She could be a mistress perhaps, someone who had learned enough secrets to make her inconvenient, but was smart enough to hide the evidence so she simply could not be silenced without there being severe consequences. That didn't make sense either. Such a person would be unlikely to care if Antonio and his squad turned the streets of Rome red, unless it directly impacted her. She would be unlikely to respond so quickly as to have the death dealers dispatched the night they arrived in town. For that matter, she could not see her being given control of a wet work group sufficient to deal with Antonio and his squad. The Council had them of course. But such people were rare, and expensive, so the Council would be unlikely to have them sitting around Rome not doing anything. Plus the Coven tended to keep track of them, not as rigorously as The Slayer of course, but it always helped to know where the competition was, and what they were up to. The closest squad was currently in Tehran, tracking down group of Old One worshipers that wanted to make the situation in the Middle East even worse than it was. Personaly, Erika wished them the best of luck.

Erika stepped forward and held out her hand as The Immortal introduced her, "Erika, the representative of the United Covens, this is Buffy Summers, The Council's Ambassador to the Vatican."

The smile froze on Erika's face. This was impossible, Buffy Summers was dead. Amelia had sent them a picture of her tombstone. Kraven had the damn thing framed in his office. Buffy Summers had frightened the Covens like no Slayer since they had found out what Slayers were, or rather since they found out that killing a Slayer really didn't accomplish a whole lot except buy time. The Coven had partially been formed to enforce a treaty that had been drawn up between the non-demonic vampires, and the Watcher's Council. They agreed to keep themselves largely out of Western Europe, and keep their brethren from slaughtering humans in their areas and in return, the Council would not unleash the Slayer on them. When word got around that Buffy had quit the Council, the first things that Coven Vampires had done was hold a summit to decide the likelihood of her traveling, and what to do if she came into their area. In the end, it had been decided to send a warning to the Council that stated they would hold them to the Covenant if Buffy traveled into area's they controlled.

"Miss Summer's," Erika said pleasantly, "It seems that rumors of your death three years ago were exaggerated."

Buffy took her hand, "Not really, I got better."

Erika blanched; the hand that took hers was warm, living. She could feel the blood flowing in the Slayers veins, blood that called to her, promising a feast greater than any she had ever sampled. There was none of the stench of decay or darkness that came from a demonically sired vampire. How could she have gotten better? And why was the current Slayer said to be a brunette and hanging out in Cleveland?

"Ladies?" The Immortal said, "Perhaps we can retire to my study as I believe that you two have much to discuss."

Buffy nodded and waved Erika forward. It took every once of courage the vampire had to put the Slayer to her back.


End file.
